Speaking on cell phones while driving can be a dangerous practise, leading to increased accident rates. So much so, that many governments have banned cell phone use while driving, or are considering such bans. While the use of a hands free kit can facilitate cell phone calls while driving, not all drivers have access to a hands free kit. Furthermore, while governments, who otherwise ban the practise, allow the use of a hands free kit to facilitate cell phone use while driving, studies have not shown a discernible difference in accident rates if a driver is using a hands free kit. Hence, many governments are considering banning this practise also.
Nonetheless, it is often disadvantageous for a driver to ignore an incoming call, for example by letting the call go to voicemail, rather than answer the call and risk an accident and/or a fine. For example, a user may be expecting an important business call while being unavoidably on the road. Ignoring the call may damage a business relationship, especially if the caller knows that the user is expecting the call. In a further example, a parent who is on the road may wish to accept all calls from their children (or other family members), as a call from a child may be an emergency.
Other situations may arise where it may be difficult for a user to answer call, or socially unacceptable for the user to do so, but it is also disadvantageous to ignore the call. For example, a user may be in a business meeting or a movie theatre when the call arrives at the cell phone. Furthermore, the situation may not be limited to cell phones. For example, a sales person may be finishing up with a client, while expecting an important call at their desk phone. Or a parent may be bathing a small child, while expecting an important call at their home phone. In either case, the user cannot immediately pick up the call when it arrives.
Hence there is a need for a method and apparatus for managing a call when a user is available to receive the call, but requires additional time to retrieve the call.